Do You Want To Follow Christ?

Luke 9

23 Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. 24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 25 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?”

So, do you really want to be a Christ follower? Give up your selfish ways, be willing to die daily for His sake, stop trying to hang on to the stuff of this world, and devote yourself to His ways. Jesus doesn’t pull any punches, and He is not interested in half-hearted disciples. Give it all to Jesus or don’t bother.

GLORY

Psalms 71

19 Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the highest heavens.
You have done such wonderful things.
Who can compare with you, O God?
20 You have allowed me to suffer much hardship,
but you will restore me to life again
and lift me up from the depths of the earth.

Father, God. You alone are worthy of my daily praise. You alone deserve the glory and honor. You alone can save me from my sin, and save me from myself. I thank You for the opportunities to praise Your Holy Name, especially in times when I may be suffering. Use these times to draw me closer to You. I desire to glorify Your Name always. May I loosen my grip on this world, and hold on to You more tightly every day. Open my heart to Your ways, O Lord. I repent of my sin, Father, seeking to draw closer to You each day. I yearn for You, my Lord. I am not content to be where I am, I long to be closer to You today than ever before. I ask this all in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Beautiful Crown

Proverbs 12

4 A worthy wife is a crown for her husband,
but a disgraceful woman is like cancer in his bones.

My crown is absolutely splendid. My Bride is my joy, and she helps keep me focused on the Lord Jesus always. I am so unworthy to be called her husband, yet she loves me anyway. What a true blessing from the Lord is she! Thank You, Jesus, for allowing me the privilege of being married to Peggy Dixon Blount. I am the most blessed man on this planet.

Good Soil

Luke 8

11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word. 12 The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. 13 The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. 14 The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. 15And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.”

Lord, this morning, I pray that I will be a “good soil” person, paying attention to Your Word, and living accordingly. I also pray that You will guide me in helping the students whom I teach each week to become “good soil” people as well. I fear for many of them, because I see traits of “shallow soil,” and “rocky soil” in so many of them. give me the sense of urgency to help them move over to the “good soil” category.

Don't Forget

Deuteronomy 8

11 “But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today.”

As the children of Israel prepare to enter the Promised Land, Moses is relaying God’s instructions to them. Among those instructions: when you live in this land of plenty, don’t forget the LORD your God. It reminds me of some of today’s message in Church. God may allow suffering to come into your life so that you might

Glorify the Lord through your character

Loosen your grip on this world

Open your heart to the Lord

Repent of your sins

Yearn for God.

It is that Loosen your grip on this world that the children of Israel are being warned about here. When we are in times of plenty, we humans have a tendency forget that such blessings come from God Himself. To forget that Truth is to turn your back on the Lord God Himself. May that never be the case in my life!

New Testament Shema

Deuteronomy 6

4 “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. 5 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 8 Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."

Listen, O Christian! Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father except through Jesus. You must love Jesus and love people the way that Jesus loves them. You must commit yourself to obey the Gospel, repenting of your sins, confessing Jesus as the Christ, being immersed into Christ, and live your life for Him daily. Study the Scriptures to show yourself approved, a workman who correctly handles the Word of Truth. Teach these Words of Life to your children, and use every opportunity that comes along on a daily basis to reinforce that which is clearly taught in Scripture.

Known By Your Fruit

Luke 6

43 “A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 44 A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. 45 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.”

Jesus lays it out in no uncertain terms. Just as a tree is known by its fruit, people are also know by the fruit in their lives. I mean, when you walk by an orange tree here in Florida, there is no doubt as to what that tree is. What do people see when they examine my life? I pray that the fruit of the Spirit is more evident in my life every day. That fruit consists of the following parts: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. It is my goal to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in my daily life. May God be glorified in all I do every single day.

Love Like Jesus Loves

Luke 6

27 “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. 28 Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. 30 Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. 31 Do to others as you would like them to do to you.

32 “If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! 33 And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! 34 And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return.

35 “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. 36 You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.

Jesus leaves no room for doubt in what He says here. His followers are to be known for their radical love. We are not just to love those who love us in return, we are to love EVERYONE. Period. To do any less puts us in the category of the sinners, and we know that sinners will have no part of the Kingdom of Christ. May I be known for my compassionate love for others, and may Jesus be glorified through it all.

Eating With Sinners

Luke 5

29 Later, Levi held a banquet in his home with Jesus as the guest of honor. Many of Levi’s fellow tax collectors and other guests also ate with them. 30 But the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law complained bitterly to Jesus’ disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with such scum?^[a^]”

31 Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. 32 I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.”

^[a^] Luke 5:30 Greek with tax collectors and sinners?

Jesus went where the sinners were because Jesus was sent to seek and to save that which was lost. As a follower of Christ, I need to make sure that I have relationship with lost people so as to be able to lead them to Christ. I don’t do as well in this area as I should. Oh, I have relationship with lost people, but it is usually in the context of my “duties” in the church. I have read Arron Chambers’ book “Eats With Sinners” and I know that I need to intentionally get myself out and about more often so that I can put myself in the position to share meals with those who are outside of the church. Pray for me in this regard.

Willing

Luke 5

12 In one of the villages, Jesus met a man with an advanced case of leprosy. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground, begging to be healed. “Lord,” he said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.”

13 Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared.

Jesus is not only ready and able, He is willing. Jesus is willing to cleanse us of our sins. He is willing to pay the price for our iniquities. He is willing to suffer the cup of God’s wrath on our behalf. He has already done so, thus proving His willingness. The question remains today then, are we willing to follow Jesus? My answer is yes. Lord, lead me where You will, show me what You would have me do, prepare me for the task at hand this day, and may Your Holy Name be glorified through my life today!

Alone Time

Luke 4

42 Early the next morning Jesus went out to an isolated place. The crowds searched everywhere for him, and when they finally found him, they begged him not to leave them. 43 But he replied, “I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other towns, too, because that is why I was sent.” 44 So he continued to travel around, preaching in synagogues throughout Judea.

I’m reading Les Hardin’s, “The Spirituality of Jesus” right now, and my friend Les makes a compelling case for the spiritual discipline of alone time in prayer for Jesus. We often read in the Gospel accounts that Jesus isolated Himself from the crowds. In this instance, the prayer time immediately precedes the calling of His Disciples. Jesus knew that in order to spiritually feed others, He must be fed spiritually as well. This alone time with God the Father served as that “feeding time” for Jesus. My daily devotional readings and prayer time serve as mine. I need to spend more time in this discipline if I am to presume to teach others. My prayer for myself today is that I will desire more alone time with God the Father so that I may be better prepared to be the man of God I have been called to be.

Oh God You Are My God

Psalm 63

1 O God, you are my God;

I earnestly search for you.

My soul thirsts for you;

my whole body longs for you

in this parched and weary land

where there is no water.

O God, You are my God, and I will ever praise You. I will seek You in the morning, and I will learn to walk in Your ways. And step by step You’ll lead me, and I will follow You all of my days. These words are not only some of my favorite lyrics of all time, they are my daily prayer. As I read from Scripture each morning, it is my desire to live a life closer to my Lord Jesus today than I did yesterday. My whole being longs to be closer to my Lord, and to follow Him always. I am so glad that I can be forgiven for my sins so that I need not fear being closer to my Lord. Lord, You are the Living Water that satisfies the thirsting in my soul. You are the Bread of Life, and I am hungry for more of You each day. You alone can satisfy my deepest needs and desires, and I give them all to You this day.

Desert Time

Psalm 62

5 Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
for my hope is in him.
6 He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress where I will not be shaken.

I guess that because I know the direction the sermon is taking tomorrow at VCC, this passage speaks to me in a more powerful way this morning. Retreating to the desert to rest in the Lord, to be refreshed by the Lord, and to regroup in the Lord. My “desert” these days would primarily be my 30 minute “Power of Prayer” walks each week. I do two or three a week, and desire to increase that to at least four a week on a permanent basis. Yeah, I spend time daily in God’s Word and prayer aside from those walks, but more and more my true “desert” times ARE my walks. May I be more disciplined in this regard. There is plenty to be done, and I need my strength and rest from my Lord.

Brood of Snakes

Luke 3

7 When the crowds came to John for baptism, he said, “You brood of snakes! Who warned you to flee God’s coming wrath? 8 Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. 9 Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.”

I wonder what John the Baptist would have to say were he to appear in an average church in America today? I mean, our churches are filled with people who put in an appearance on Sunday, then live disconnected lives Monday through Saturday. There are plenty of folks who almost have the attitude that they are doing God a favor by showing up in church. Just because we go to church (even if we go every Sunday), that doesn’t mean we are in a right position before God. Jesus says we will be known by our fruit (our actions). When we act like Jesus in our daily lives, we are in a good position. Otherwise, could John possibly call us a brood of snakes? Hmmmm...

Obedient

Luke 2

51 Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And his mother stored all these things in her heart.

52 Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.

Jesus was obedient. Not just to His heavenly Father, but to His earthly parents as well. At the age of 12, his parents “lost” him during a trip to Jerusalem. A panic-stricken three day search found him in the Temple asking questions of the religious leaders, astonishing them with His understanding. When his overwrought parents found him (and I can just imagine what Joseph’s andMary’s states of mind were like at that time), Jesus simply replies that they should not have been worried, and that they should have known where He would be. Nevertheless, he returned to Nazareth and was obedient to His parents. When Jesus teaches that we are to be obedient, this is just one more area of life where He serves as the Perfect Example. Help me to live a more obedient life, Lord.

Ordinary, But Willing

Luke 2

17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

The first Gospel Evangelists were shepherds. Ordinary guys at the bottom of the social and job ladder chosen by the God of all creation to be the first to spread the News about the birth of Messiah. God uses the ordinary to proclaim the extraordinary. God can use even a goober like me, so long as I am willing to be His vessel. I am. Are you?

God Doesn't Lie

Numbers 23

19 “God is not a man, so he does not lie.
He is not human, so he does not change his mind.
Has he ever spoken and failed to act?
Has he ever promised and not carried it through?”

This is from Balaam’s 2nd message to Balak from the LORD. While the king wanted Balaam to curse the people of Israel, the LORD intended only to bless them. No matter what Balak wanted, and no matter where he took Balaam to make any pronouncements. I take great encouragement from verse 19 knowing that my God doesn’t lie, that He always carries through on His Word, and that I can trust in Him always! In a society where “truth” has become a relative term, I know that my God is THE God of Truth, and that I can trust Him at His Word always. May I be a man of the Word, and may I never sway from that Word. May I proclaim God’s Word always, no matter what the people around me want to hear, and no matter where they take me.

Confident in the Lord

Psalm 57

7 My heart is confident in you, O God;
my heart is confident.
No wonder I can sing your praises!
8 Wake up, my heart!
Wake up, O lyre and harp!
I will wake the dawn with my song.
9 I will thank you, Lord, among all the people.
I will sing your praises among the nations.
10 For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens.
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

11 Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens.
May your glory shine over all the earth.

This is part of a Psalm that David wrote when he was hiding from King Saul while the King wanted David dead. When the challenges of life seem overwhelming, we need to turn to God that much more. The enemy is all around us. Satan prowls like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Those who follow satan are all around us, seeking to pull us from Jesus and into the very pit of hell. Yet, when we stay focused on Jesus, when we follow His Word, His Way, and His Will, we can rejoice even in the midst of attack. My heart is confident in my Lord. May I help others be confident in Jesus as well.

Truth Confirmation

Luke 1

1 Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us. 2 They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples. 3 Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write a careful account for you, most honorable Theophilus, 4 so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught.

So, here you have it. Luke writes his Gospel to Theophilus after having carefully investigated the eyewitness accounts of those who were with Jesus during His earthly ministry. Luke writes so that Theophilus can be certain of the truth of everything he was taught regarding Jesus. Therefore, when I read Luke’s account, I can have this same assurance. I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and Luke’s writings give me confirmation of the truth I have been taught about Jesus. May my life reflect that truth daily.

Nothing More and Nothing Less

Mark 16

15 And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. 16 Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.”

Mark records these marching orders Jesus gave to His followers. Can there be any doubt as to what Jesus means here? His followers are to go forth and tell others about Him. Those who hear this Good News and believe it will be baptized. Those who do not believe will be condemned. So, the opposite of being baptized is to be condemned. Hmmm...so why do so many people who claim to follow Christ (and certainly those who teach in His name) say that baptism is not essential for salvation? Why do they dismiss baptism as simply an outward sign of inward grace, etc.? It can ONLY be because they are not teaching what the Scriptures teach. They are following some manmade creed instead of following the very Words of Jesus Himself. May God have mercy on their souls for perverting His Word. May they come to repentance and follow what the Scriptures teach. Lord, keep me firmly grounded in Your Word, and help me to teach what You would have taught. Nothing more, and nothing less.

Deliberate Sin

Numbers 15

27 “If one individual commits an unintentional sin, the guilty person must bring a one-year-old female goat for a sin offering. 28 The priest will sacrifice it to purify the guilty person before the Lord, and that person will be forgiven. 29 These same instructions apply both to native-born Israelites and to the foreigners living among you.

30 “But those who brazenly violate the Lord’s will, whether native-born Israelites or foreigners, have blasphemed the Lord, and they must be cut off from the community. 31 Since they have treated the Lord’s word with contempt and deliberately disobeyed his command, they must be completely cut off and suffer the punishment for their guilt.”

So, God lays it out for His people: if you unintentionally sin, you must repent, and seek forgiveness. Yeah, in the Old Covenant way of doing things, that involved animal sacrifices. However, if you deliberately sin, you were to be cut off from the community. No messing around here. Before we breathe a sigh of relief because we no longer live under the Old Covenant, let’s be reminded of what Hebrews 10:26-27 says:

26 Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. 27 There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies.

God is STILL serious about His response to deliberate sin. When we know what we should be doing; when we know how we should be living, and yet we deliberately fail to do so, we can expect to face God’s Holy anger and Righteous wrath. To expect any less would be to NOT take God at His Word.

Sins of the Fathers

Numbers 14

34 “‘Because your men explored the land for forty days, you must wander in the wilderness for forty years—a year for each day, suffering the consequences of your sins. Then you will discover what it is like to have me for an enemy.’ 35 I, the Lord, have spoken! I will certainly do these things to every member of the community who has conspired against me. They will be destroyed here in this wilderness, and here they will die!”

36 The ten men Moses had sent to explore the land—the ones who incited rebellion against the Lord with their bad report—37 were struck dead with a plague before the Lord. 38 Of the twelve who had explored the land, only Joshua and Caleb remained alive.

Two things jump out at me in these verses today. 1st, our children pay a severe price for our faithlessness. As I look at our society and at the state of the Church, that is evident. For nearly three generations now in this country, we have kicked God out of public discourse (unless we are abusing His name), and have allowed the pagan society to marginalize Christian faith. In the Church, parents are allowed faithful obedience to Christ to be among the many options in life along side of sports and other extra-curricular activities. While those other activities are not bad in and of themselves, when they replace activities designed to deepen their children’s walk with the LORD, there is no doubt about the evil of that intent. Idolatry is alive and well in America and in the American Church.

Secondly, I see the reason why the names of the ten bad spies are not household names. These guys paid an immediate price for their disobedience and disrespect of God: they were struck dead with a plague before the LORD. May those who continue to foment open rebellion against God receive a similar fate. I’m not talking about the pagans in our society, I’m talking about leaders of God’s people who twist the Word, pervert the Gospel, and disobey the clear commands of our LORD. A deadly plague among those types of folks would do the Church an eternal world of good.

Leadership Standard

Numbers 13

1 The Lord now said to Moses, 2 “Send out men to explore the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to the Israelites. Send one leader from each of the twelve ancestral tribes.” 3 So Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He sent out twelve men, all tribal leaders of Israel, from their camp in the wilderness of Paran. 4 These were the tribes and the names of their leaders:

Tribe — Leader

Reuben — Shammua son of Zaccur

5 Simeon — Shaphat son of Hori

6 Judah — Caleb son of Jephunneh

7 Issachar — Igal son of Joseph

8 Ephraim — Hoshea son of Nun

9 Benjamin — Palti son of Raphu

10 Zebulun — Gaddiel son of Sodi

11 Manasseh son of Joseph — Gaddi son of Susi

12 Dan — Ammiel son of Gemalli

13 Asher — Sethur son of Michael

14 Naphtali — Nahbi son of Vophsi

15 Gad — Geuel son of Maki

16 These are the names of the men Moses sent out to explore the land. (Moses called Hoshea son of Nun by the name Joshua.)

As I read this list of 12 leaders of the tribes of Israel, knowing that I only know anything much about two of them (Caleb and Joshua), I am struck today by the thought that being called out as a leader of God’s people is one thing. It is a great honor to be sure. However, to be obedient to that calling is quite something else altogether. Ten of these twelve men were not obedient, did not trust, and failed to give God the glory He alone deserves. They are essentially forgotten on the dung heap of history’s failed leaders. They were among the Israelites who died wandering in the desert before God would allow His people to enter the Promised Land. Father, today I ask that You help me to be faithful and obedient to You always. May Your Will, not mine, be paramount in my daily activities. May I be known as a leader of God’s people who says, “With God, we CAN!” Keep me focused on You, Lord, and help me to be a positive influence on those with whom You have entrusted me to influence.

Rededicated Renewal

Psalm 51

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Renew a loyal spirit within me.

I know this is a Psalm of David after Nathan the prophet had confronted the King about his sin with Bathsheba. I feel like this past weekend, I was confronted with the sin of my half-hearted following of Christ. I have been convicted and challenged to step it up, and to be the man of God that He desires. I am asking God to create in me a clean heart; to renew a loyal spirit within me. I no longer want to just “do” ministry, I want to be a minister. I no longer want to tell people about following Christ, I want to be a living example of a full-fledged Christ follower. It is not even that I think I was a “bad guy” before, it is just that I can be even better through the power of the Holy Spirit, and a more focused and determined walk with Christ. Father, help me every step of the way by creating a new heart, and renewing a loyal spirit within this willing servant of Yours.

Help Me Reach The Wicked

Psalm 50

16 But God says to the wicked:
“Why bother reciting my decrees
and pretending to obey my covenant?
17 For you refuse my discipline
and treat my words like trash.

Who are the wicked who recite the decrees of God, and pretend to obey His Covenant? They are not the pagans, because the pagans don’t pretend to obey God. No, the LORD myst be talking about those who claim to follow Him, but don’t live a lifestyle that matches up with that claim. Those who refuse God’s discipline and treat His words like trash must be people who claim to be followers, but who don’t truly follow Him. It breaks my heart to think of the students who have gone through, and who are going through the student ministries in which I am involved who would be in this classification. Simply going through the motions, but in reality trampling underfoot the Gospel of Christ. Lord, help me to reach these students in an effective manner.

My Offering Must Increase

Mark 12

41 Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. 42 Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins.

43 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. 44 For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.”

Father, forgive me when I have only given You a tiny part of my surplus. It is my desire to give You a significant part of my earnings, my talents, of my very life. Your call upon me to serve as a minister of the Gospel of Christ requires more than a token giving from me. I gladly give You that which already belongs to You anyway. May I be even more free in my giving from this day forward. I am not satisfied to give only what I have given in the past. I want You to have more of me. Please accept my offering with the spirit in which it is given, and may Jesus be glorified by my offering always.

Sing Praises

Psalm 47

5 God has ascended with a mighty shout.
The Lord has ascended with trumpets blaring.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises!
7 For God is the King over all the earth.
Praise him with a psalm!

Well as a worship arts guy, I certainly love getting to read Psalms like this. As a Christ follower, I certainly love getting to read Psalms like this. As I awaken this morning here at camp, I certainly want to practice the sentiment of this passage of Scripture. God is worthy of all glory, and I want my life to be a song of praise to Him. God is King over all the earth. He is the Creator of everything, the Giver of Life, and the Author of Salvation. Praise God!

Be Still

Psalm 46

10 “Be still, and know that I am God!
I will be honored by every nation.
I will be honored throughout the world.”

Wow. What a day here at Lake Aurora. Dr. Gary Johnson is rocking my socks off with his teaching on leadership, recruiting, and living a life even more dedicated to God. Now, as I lay in my bunk, I read this passage of Scripture, and I know that I need to slow down, soak in what I am learning, let it simmer, and then apply it with a vengeance. May God be glorified. May I be still, and may my every thought, word and deed be designed to bring Him glory, honor and praise always!

Servant Leader

Mark 10

41 When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. 42 So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 43 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

James and John have just made their power play. They asked Jesus to seat them at His right and His left when His Kingdom is established. Man, were they ever in for a surprise. First, Jesus talks about a bitter cup from which they will have to drink, then He tells them it is not up to Him who sits on His right and left, then the other disciples find out and are mad. Then, Jesus lays the bomb diggity on them: whoever wants to be a leader must be a servant! Lord, help me to have the proper attitude to be a servant leader for You, and to put aside any foolish pride or ego issues that would hinder me in that regard.

Would You?

Mark 10

23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!” 24 This amazed them. But Jesus said again, “Dear children, it is very hard to enter the Kingdom of God. 25 In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”

26 The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked.

27 Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.”

I’ve been reading the David Platt book, “Radical” lately, and he deals with this passage in a way that is guaranteed to make an American Christian squirm. I may not totally agree with Platt in his treatment of this passage, but I agree with more than I disagree with him in this area. We live in the richest nation in history, and even the poor among us in America are rich compared with people all around the world. What if Jesus called ME to give up all my physical possessions to follow Him? Would I do it? I want to say that I would. I use the possessions at my disposal to advance the Kingdom of Christ to the best of my ability, and I believe that it all belongs to Him anyway. I pray that if it gets to the point where Jesus asks me to give it all away, I would do so gladly. I do not type those words lightly or flippantly, but with fear and reverence.